


Bridging the Gaps

by coffee_mage



Category: Marvel Avengers Movies Universe, The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Implied child abuse (off screen), Implied child molestation (off screen), Implied sexual assault (off screen), Just snippets of an idea that I'm just dumping here for no good reason other than stress relief.
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-11-16
Updated: 2012-11-17
Packaged: 2017-11-18 19:17:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 2
Words: 843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/564365
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coffee_mage/pseuds/coffee_mage
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Just a couple snippets of an idea where Clint gets brought in by Coulson when he is sixteen, going on seventeen.  Coulson begins to observe gaps in Clint's knowledge, in spite of Clint's incredible prowess as a fighter, marksman, strategist and observer.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Phil lifted his head when the kid called him.  "Yeah?"  
  
Clint peered back at Phil over his shoulder, frowning.  Phil had only brought him in a week before and he was still evaluating Clint as a potential new agent, which meant 24/7 surveillance.  They were actually fitting in together surprisingly well considering they'd known each other eight days and been living together for five.  Clint was currently soaking up every genre of television in existence, one episode after another.  Phil wasn't even entirely sure the kid was sleeping.  "What the hell is statutory rape?"

Phil blinked.  "It's when an adult has sex with someone who isn't yet capable of consent."  He wondered where the question was coming from and how Clint didn't know that.  
  
"Then why the hell are they arresting this guy for it?" Clint asked, pointing at the episode of Law and Order: SVU he was watching.  "The chick obviously wanted it, she even said so."  
  
"If she was under eighteen, then she wasn't legally able to say that."

"What do you mean?"

Clint looked startled which, Phil thought, might not be a good thing.  He made a mental note to tread carefully.  "Children don't have enough knowledge yet to determine what the consequences of sexual behaviour can be long-reaching."

Clint blinked.  "What did you even just say?"

"You do realize that sex can have consequences, right?"  
  
"Yeah.  And I've known that since I can remember.  So why not just tell kids what the consequences can be?"

"Because they need time to process it, time to learn more about other people and themselves, before they can really understand that."

"Time to process?"  Clint shook his head and chuckled.  "You make it sound like everyone has time to think before they start doing stuff."

"They should.  And that's why children aren't legal to have sex with.  They haven't had enough time to think."

"When did they come up with this stupid rule, anyway?  It something new?"

"Since before you were born," Phil said.  
  
It was like a wall came down behind Clint's eyes.  "Cool," he said, and turned back to the television.

 

 

***

 

 

When a field mission came up and he had to leave Clint behind at HQ, Phil handed Clint a schedule and a map and told him to keep the appointments and evaluations Phil had arranged for to keep Clint occupied.  When Phil got back, half of SHIELD was looking for Clint who had taken off into the vents about ten minutes after Phil left.  Phil found Clint sitting in Phil's desk chair, waiting for him.

"You missed all your appointments."

"Please.  It looked boring.  Instead, I kept everyone on their toes.  Good training and shit."  Clint had his feet up on Phil's desk and he looked smug.  
  
Phil raised an eyebrow.  "It looked boring?"  He pulled his copy of Clint's schedule out of his outbox and looked it over.  "I really don't see how a meeting with R&D to discuss a customized bow or an appointment to meet your small explosives instructor would be boring.  Did you even look at the schedule?"

The wall came back and Clint shrugged.  "Didn't see any point."

"Fine.  Instead, you can write an email to each person who you broke an appointment with, apologizing for wasting their time."

"Or you could suck your own dick."

"I'm not that flexible."  

There was almost a smile, but not quite.  "I am."

"We're not all you.  Now at least take a look so that next time you'll know I don't just schedule you boring stuff?"  Phil handed the schedule to Clint.  
  
Clint took it and appeared to be looking at it, but when Phil looked closer, he realized that Clint's eyes weren't moving with the text.  
  
"Clint, can you read?"  The words came out before Phil could even think about them.

Clint was out the door a moment later.

 

 

*****

 

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

Phil waited outside of the learning centre where Clint was receiving instruction in small, personalized classes. Despite their best efforts, SHIELD lacked anyone capable of tutoring an attitude-ridden teenager who hadn't been in consistent schooling since he was about 8 or 9. Clint came out and climbed into the car, slamming his backpack over his shoulder into the back.

"I'm done here."

Phil waited for him to buckle his seatbelt and started driving. "SHIELD can't accommodate an illiterate operative. I'm sorry."

"Then let me out of the car."

Phil kept driving.

"I said let me out."

"I'm afraid I can't do that." Phil glanced over. "Why do you want to give up?"

"I hate it."

"Tough."

A driver swerved out in front of Phil and he was focussed on the other car and Clint got the jump on Phil in that moment he wasn't paying Clint any mind. "Maybe I can convince you."

Phil was very proud when he managed not to react in the slightest. "I highly doubt that you can convince me to let a major requirement for your continued employment by giving me a handjob."

"Then what the hell are you waiting for?"


End file.
